Gear-generator.



E. J. LEES.

GEAR GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. J. LEES'. GEAR GENERATOR. V, APPLIOATIONIILED MAR. 25, 1912.

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. .oF' CLEVELAND, 01110, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

GEAR-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent; P t t d 2 1913,

Originalapplieation filed August 6, 1909, Serial No. 511,497, Divided and this application filed March 25, 1912. Serial N0. 685, 950.

To all whom z't'mag] concern:

Be it known that L EnN'ns'r J. Lnns, a

citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gear-Generators, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in'which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates generally to gear generating machines, generally referred to in the art as bobbing machines, whereby spur gears, worm gears, and spiral gears are cut by means of a continuously rotating cutter operating upon a continuously rotating blank.

' Specifically, the hereinafter described invention refers to that part of such bobbing machines which provides for the adjustment of the tool-carrying slide with reference to the work upon which the tool is to operate or is operating, this application forming a division of my prior application Serial No. 511,497, filed Aug. 6. 1909.

The object of the invention is to provide means in a machine of this character, where by such adjustment may be obtained accurately, and whereby a' given position of the tool may be repeatedly imparted thereto.

The said invention consists of means hereinafter .fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail ccrtainmeans embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawiug:-Figure 1 is a fragmentary end elevation. of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front ele- -vation of those parts of the machine in which the resent described invention is embodied. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of this machine. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of this particular part of the machine, showing portions in plan. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken upon the axis of the toolspindle.

Referring to the drawings, the frame A is provided upon its upper surface with a horizontal slide -way a, which is placed at I right angleswith the longitudinal axis of the machine, and, at the back thereof.

-Mpunted upon this slide-way is a tool-head slide B,-which is formed with a cylindrical seat I), having its axis horizontal and parallel with the direction of sliding movement of the tool-head slide. Mounted in this horizontalseat is a'tool-head B, which carries the tool spindle upon which the tool is fixed, or by which it is carried the axis of this tool-spindle being perpendicular to the axis of the tool-head.

The particular construction of the device thus far described is separately described and claimed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. (385,9i9, filed even date herewith.

A sliding movement of the tool-head slide is obtained by means of the feed-screw E, Fig. 5, the rear'end of which is fixedly secured to a downwardly projecting portion 7)" of the slide, the front or threaded end of the screw being engaged by an interiorly thre'a ded sleeve E. .Keyed to this sleeve is a hand-wheel Ffiby means of which the said sleeve may be turned. The sleeve is mounted in a bearing support 0 which forms a part of, or is fixedly secured to, the frame A, and suitable means, such as a rear flange e, and nut '0, are provided to prevent endwise movement of the sleeve with reference to the bearing support c". It will therefore be seen that by turning the hand-wheel, the screw may be drawn forward or pushed rearwardly, and the corresponding movement imparted to the slide 13.

Formed upon the frame of the machine is the horiz'outal slide-way a', which is placed at right angles with respect to the slide-way a. This slide-way. a extends longitudinally of the frame and laterally of each side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the t0ol-head B. f Mounted upon slide-way a." is a Workcarrying slide C. Uponthis slide is mount-- ed work-carrying and work-rotating means,

which includes a rotatable spindle C. hav-.

ing its axis of rotation parallel with the di rection of sli .ng moven'ient of the slide C. As shown, the slide-way a and slide 0 are, located so that the latter may be caused to pass along in front of the tool-holder and operating head,'so to' impart to the work a path of movement such as is required in order to permit the tool on the tool-head to operate along its entire length.

Mounted upon the main portion of the hand-wheel E and forming its outer rim, is, a ring E Fig. 5. This ring may be fixedly secured to the main bodyof the wheel by means of a set-screw e Extending radially from the ring is a projection 0 whose function will be hereinafter fully described. Rotatably mounted on the hub of the wheel E is a wormwheel' e, which is engaged by a worm-portion 0 fixed to or forming a part of a transverse driving shaft E. This worm-wheel is provided-with a flange e adjacent to the hand-wheel E as shown in Fig. 5, and this flange may be caused to engage the said wheel, by means of screws a which pass through said wheel and are threaded into a. ring (2 which bears against the flange e and the inner surface of said wheel. A friction ring '6 of fiber or leather is preferably interposed between the said flange and the adjacent surface of the wheel. By turning the screws w" the ring 6 pulls the flange and adjacent heel portion toward each other so as to cause them to frictionally engage. Under these conditions the rotation of the worm will effect the rotation of the hand-wheel and thus produce an automatic or continuous feeding of the slide B, through the consequent movement of the feeding screw E. Then it is not desired to effect this automatic feeding movement the worm-wheel and hand-wheel are disconnected by loosening the screws 6 Such loosening disconnects the parts so that the worm may be rotated without moving the hand-wheel. Also mounted upon the hub of the hand-wheel is a disk 0", whose circumference is graduated, and which may be secured to, or released from, the hub by means of a thumb-screw 6 By means of a suitable mark upon the adjacent surface e of the bearing support 0 the angular position of the hand-wheel may be determined, as will be readily understood.

Mounted upon the side of the frame A, and extending from front to rear-thereof, is a reciprocable rod F, Fig.'1. The rear end of this rod is provided with a nut f, audi'ntermediately of this nut and the frame is a coil-spring f. This spring normally holds the front end of the rod in its rearmost position. This front end of the rod is so located that when said rod is drawn forwardly against the action of the spring f, it will project into the path of rotation of the rejection 6 upon the ring E of the 0 han -wheel. Adjacent to-this front end of the rod, and secured thereto, is a cylindrical collar f and this collar is in a position such that when the rod is drawn forward against the action of the spring, its rear face may be engaged by a manually operable dog F, Fig. -1, such dog being oscillatorily mounted upon the frame, as shown.

In practice, I prefer to make the pitch of the feeding screw E, one-tenth of an inch,

and-the entire circumference of the disk e 'is divided into one hundred graduations. By turning the hand-wheel through an arc equal to one one-hundredth of'its circumference, or one graduation, the tool-head slide will therefore be fed one one-thousandth of an inch. The thickness of the collar F is made such that when the rod is drawn forward so as to cause the rear face of such collar to be engaged by the dog F, the front end of the rod will extend into the path of the projection e one-tenth of an inch.

Upon the rod F, and interinediately of the ends of the same, is mounted a sliding collar F, Fig. 1, which may be fixedly secua ed in any desired position therealong, by means of a suitable set-screw f Depending from the slide B is a hanger b,="whose lower end is formed with a bore "through which the rod F extends.

The above described rod and attending parts constitute means for automatically stopping the tool-head slide successively at the same point, and for the purpose of producing this result, said parts are manipulated in the following manner: Assuming now that the slide Bhas been given the position which it is desired it shall again occupy with exactness after having been removed therefrom, the disk e" is loosened from the hub of the hand-wheel and turned so as to register zero, after which it is again secured in place. previously loosened, the rod F is drawn for- 'ward by hand, so as to permit the dog F .engage the upper surface of the front end of the rod, and then secured in that position by set-screw o The collar F is then loosened, slipped backwardly until it engages the adjacent face of the hanger I), and then again fastened by means of the set-screw f. The dog F is thereupon pulled downwardly so as to disengage the collar, the rod F being, however, still retained in place by the collar F The tool-head slide B may thereupon be backed away from the work by turning the hand-wheel from right to left, the operator, however, making mental note of the number of complete revolutions through which he has turned the wheel. In this backward movement, the rod F recedes with the slide until it reaches itsrearmost position. The slide, however, may,'as will The ring E having been I claim and desire to secure by be readily understood, be moved still farther rcarwardly, so collar F Assuming, now, that .it is. desired to bring the tool back to exactly the same position which it previously occupied, as is frequently the case in work of this class, and as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the hand-wheel is now turned from left to right, and the slide fed inwardly from the rear toward the front. During this forward movement,'it reengages the collar F, and immediately following'such engagement, the rod again movesforwardly until its front end begins to intersect the path of the projection 6 By reason of the fact that the extent of such projection is made as above described, one-tehth of an inch, and one complete revolution of the hand-wheel will move the slide, and therefore the rod, one-tenth of an inch, such intersection does not begin until just after the hand-wheel, and therefore the projection 6", has completed the neiit to the last revolution which is necessary to bring the slide and tool back to the required position. By the time, therefore, that the last revolution is completed, the end of the rod will again be intersecting the path of the projection, and the said wheel will therefore be stopped in exactly the position which it left at the beginning of the operation.

Having fully described my invention, what Letters Patent is 1. In a gear-generating machine, bination of a suitable frame; a

the comtool-head slide mounted upon the latter; a feed-screw connected with said slide; a member mount- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the as to entirely disengage the j movement of said adjustably securable mem-' ber; manually-operable means for engaging said reciprocable member to hold same in a fixed position; and adjustable means on said member lying in the path of the said slide whereby the latter may be caused to actuate said member to assume said projecting position. i

2. In a gear-generating machine, the combination of a suitable frame; aslide mounted upon the latter; a feed-screw connected with said slide; a hand-wheel secured to said feed-screw; a rim mounted upon said hand-wheel, rotatable thereon, and provided with a projection; means for fixing sald rim to said hand-wheel; a reciprocable rod mounted parallel with said feed-screw and adapted to project into the path of rotation of said projection; a spring adapted to normally hold said rod out of said path; ed to engage said rod and hold same in such projecting position; and an adjustable collar mounted upon said rod and lying in the path of said slide, whereby the latter may be.

caused to actuate said rod to assume said projecting position.

Signed by me, this 20th day of March, 1912.

ERNEST J. LEES.

Attested by- HERMAN EISELE, B. M. HARRIS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

tool-head a manually-operable dog adapt- 

